Maëlya
How to say it: ma-eh-LYA · /maeˈlja/
Modern French feminine form of Breton Maël meaning 'chief, prince' - rose rapidly in France after 2000.
Maëlya was the 11,069th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 0 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1870s, its births are up about 20% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #11,535 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #11,069 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 0 |
| Share of births | 1 in 473,620 |
| Peak decade | 1870s |
| Change over 10 years | +20% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #11,535 |
| In France, 2025 | #147 among girls’ names, 290 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Maëlya peaked in the 1870s and is less common today.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Maë
- Lya
- Maya
Honouring a Maëlya in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Maëlya is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in French.
In France: #147 for girls in 2025.
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